


So Long

by Depressedstressedlemonzest



Category: Hieroglyphs: The Celestial Conspiracies - Talhí Briones
Genre: Anubis God of Death, Hieroglyphs fanfic, M/M, No Memory, Uriel the Guardian of The Door, Waiting, and i HAD to write them, because Talhi is amazing, enemies to lovers perhaps?, somewhat enemies to friends, this couple screamed at me when i read the book, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depressedstressedlemonzest/pseuds/Depressedstressedlemonzest
Summary: After several days, weeks, years, of Anubis waiting for the Angel Michael, his daily presence becomes less of an annoyance to the angel Uriel.
Relationships: Uriel & Anubis
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	So Long

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wheel_of_fortune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wheel_of_fortune/gifts).



> If you have not read Talhi's book Hieroglyphs the Celestial Conspiracies yet, do yourself a favor and read it!!  
> This fanfic will not spoil anything so no worries!

"Uriel! Loyal Guardian of The Door! How good to see you again! How's the door? Good and solid still? No stray splinters?" Anubis cheerfully greeted the chained angel Uriel.

Uriel rolled his eyes behind his helmet, one of the few things Anubis could see of his face.

"Anubis." Grunted Uriel, not quite ready to deal with the general annoyance the Jackal usually brought to him every day for the last, how long has it been?

"Any sign of Michael yet?" Anubis asked, his furry ears twitching, giving his eagerness away. 

Uriel grimly shook his head, he was waiting for the Jackal to give up, Michael hadn't come in... so long. Uriel had been the only one here for... so long.  
The Jackal's presence threw him off kilter, though it made for filling the silence.

"Didn't think so, mind if I wait here a bit for him to stroll by?" Anubis asked unceremoniously lowering himself to the steps and stretching himself along them without waiting for a reply.

Uriel snorted in response, he had grown to realize the Jackal would do what he pleased, whether he minded or not.

"Was that a snort Fluff Feathers? Very undignified for an angel." Anubis noted with a smirk on his face as he raised his arms behind his head, trying to get comfortable on the stairs.

Uriel ignored him and stood at The Doorway, at attention, like he had been, for, however long.

Anubis peeked at Uriel with one eye, the angel still stood At Attention at his post. Whether for taking pride in his duty, or being forced to be At Attention at all times, he wasn't sure.

"Do you ever take a break from standing like that? It must get exhausting. " Anubis asked curiosity getting the better of him.

"I'm The Angel, Uriel, Guardian of The Doorway, angels do not get exhausted. " Uriel responded dutifully, tripping over his name, as he did the first time he had spoken it aloud those, several years ago.

"Bored then. It must get transcendently boring, standing At Attention in the same spot for years on end." Anubis said, both eyes now open, surveying the chained angel.

Uriel didn't respond, just kept his eyes facing forward.

Anubis gazed up at Uriel from his spot on the steps, his eyes flashing to the chains.

"Do they hurt?" Anubis asked gently.

Uriel stirred slightly, thrown off by this question from The Jackal.  
Usually he just spouted off nonsensical things trying to get a rise out of him.

A heavy silence hung in the air, then Uriel sighed, "They used to, I've grown... accustomed to them since they were first shackled on."

Anubis' ears twitched again and his mouth curled in a small snarl.

"I don't see why you have to be shackled, especially to the point of pain." He said with a low growl.

"It's a punishment Jackal, it's not supposed to be comfortable. " Uriel said with disdain coating his tone.

"Hrmph." Anubis replied closing his eyes again.

The silence grew between the pair again.

Uriel shifted his weight, his shackles clinking, the noise making Anubis' ears twitch again.

"Oh I stopped by my temple that they worship me at before coming here." Anubis said more life in his voice.

"Oh goody." Uriel replied, his tone unimpressed. 

"Want some figs?" Anubis asked.

The question made Uriel pause, and he glanced down at Anubis.  
He had untied the leather pouch from his waist and had grabbed a couple of figs from it.  
He held them up to Uriel in offering.

Uriel's brow furrowed under his helmet, he was suspicious, but had grown used to The Jackal's company in the time he had frequented the door waiting for Michael, and he didn't see him as much of a threat anymore, at least not to him.

Anubis took the silent contemplation in Uriel's stance to wiggle the fig at him.

"Do those even have taste for your kind?" Uriel asked curiously not adding the silent "or mine" that he wanted to slip to the end of that question. 

Anubis shrugged, "See for yourself. " he said tossing a fig up to Uriel.

Uriel instinctively caught the fig in his armored hand, his reflexes still sharp after... so long.  
He carefully inspected the fig and before he could think twice he tilted his head back and dropped it in his mouth, the fig easily slipping between the hole in his helmet at his mouth.

Anubis tried to hide his incredulous reaction to Uriel eating the offered fig, he hid a small smile.  
"So?" He asked.

Uriel chewed the fruit, savoring the taste. He couldn't remember the last time he had tasted anything.

"The flesh is a bit pulpy, but the inside is sweet." Uriel said thoughtfully.

"Can't stand those seeds in them myself, though the humans love to leave them as an offering." Anubis said offering Uriel a second fig.

Uriel took it without thinking.  
"You don't seem to enjoy them. Why do the humans leave them for you as offerings if you don't enjoy them?" He asked the God.

Anubis shrugged, "the humans seem to be able to cultivate these pretty easily. Plus they grow plentifully, a few missing ones to offer the gods and you won't go starving."

Uriel nodded, made enough sense as anything.

"Do humans make offerings to Angel's like they do Gods?" Anubis asked stretching his legs out on front of him.

Uriel snorted, "No not necessarily, from what I can remember they mostly light candles, and pray, but I think there's more. I just..." he trailed off.

"Can't remember?" Anubis supplied. 

Uriel grunted as a response.

The silence between them prickled with awkwardness yet again.

"You know, I don't see how they can be punishing you, if you can't even remember what they're punishing you for." Anubis said, his face pulling slightly.

"Not remembering anything is a good punishment in and of itself." Uriel murmured mostly to himself. 

Anubis frowned, "Can you, remember anything?" He asked hesitantly.

The weight of the world's of heaven and hell seemed to suddenly rest on Uriel's shoulders and he sunk to the floor resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.  
As much as he could with all the armor on anyway.

Anubis was startled by the clinking of the armored angel. He barely budged an inch since their little dance had begun, and here he was today eating and sitting.

"I, ah, didn't mean to..." Anubis started, unsure of where to take that apology he had started. 

Uriel glanced up and dropped his elbows off his knees, his chains clinking against the armor.

"Tell me about, today, your day, any day." He requested of the Jackal, his eyes wild.

"Well, today started when I woke up from my slumbers, A non necessary thing, but the rest and naps are enjoyable, plus it means people leave me alone. Anyway, woke up from my slumbers, watched the sunrise,"

"What did it look like?" Uriel interrupted.

Anubis paused, remembering. "It was mostly pink and blue hues, some stars were still showing at the darkest points. The sun started off as a more orange glow then grew more golden as it rose."

Uriel smiled under his helmet, he did enjoy the rising and falling of the sun, when he could still see it. He had no passage of time here. Except The Jackal's frequent presence.

After a pause Anubis continued, "I went for a run in my Jackal form, chased a sand rabbit for a bit of fun," 

"Isn't this your jackal form?" Uriel interrupted again waving his hand at the God.

"Well, I have a form of just a jackal, not jackal head on top of a man body." Anubis said barking a chuckle.

"Why is it you and your, clan, have half bodies anyway?" Uriel asked.

"Well, why do your lot have big bouts of plumage coming out of your backs?" Anubis asked in return.

Uriel exhaled through his nose sharply. 

Anubis looked at him thoughtfully,  
"It is because our greatness is so, well great, between human languages they couldn't describe us as anything they already had words to. So we were molded with the creatures of the wild as well as the creatures of the tame. Not that humans are tame per se, they are perhaps the most wild of all."

"Since when are you so brooding?" Uriel asked Anubis as he rested his cheek against his fist, the metal of his armor clinking as he did so.

"I do not brood." Anubis stated in a somewhat sniffy tone, his ears pricking to the sides.

Uriel fought the urge to smile. God he hadn't smiled in, so long.

"Well whatever it is you do when you come here and bemoan about your days, or about your cohorts." He added.

Anubis sniffed and said, "I do not bemoan my troubles to you, you have enough of your own." 

They sat, again in silence.

"At least, I don't try to give you more troubles..." Anubis muttered, avoiding eye contact with Uriel.

"Finish telling me about your day." Uriel replied, somewhat stiff sounding. 

Anubis pursed his lips in thought.   
"After my run I sensed a human death nearby," he paused.

"How so?" Uriel asked curiously.

Anubis flinched slightly, then sighed.  
"When the people of Egypt die, I feel the sensations of how they die. In their sleep, burned alive, starvation, childbirth, I feel them all. So when I sensed a human death nearby today I started going to where the soul was supposed to be picked up. Luckily the sensation of this death was not the worst I've felt." 

Uriel was stunned silent.

"When I got there, it was a young Hebrew woman in childbirth. She was alone in her hut, and scared, I stood by ready to escort the soul I was waiting for. Curious since she was Hebrew and out of my jurisdiction."

Anubis paused, "Then I saw the nearby Egyptian city guard patrolling, he kept glancing at her door, hearing her cries, and I figured out why I was called there. So still feeling the pains of the death I waited."

It took a moment before Anubis spoke again. 

"This death, even though the pains of it were not the worst I've had to endure, the children who die, they always stay with me," he said somewhat shakily. 

"Her arrival was silent, her soul just appeared to me and I grabbed her in my arms to hold her."

"When," Uriel croaked out starting to ask a question, and then thought better of it.

Anubis, surprised, looked at him and shrugged, indicating that he should ask.

"When they pass, do their souls match their bodies? Say an elderly man with a limp passes, would his soul still present that of an elderly man with a limp? Or are they all healed and just ready for their reward?" 

Uriel asked the question quickly before he could forget the question. 

"They appear to me as they were in their bodies, and then once they reach the Oasis of the Gods do they become healed of their physical plagues." Anubis answered.

"So this death was the babe?" Uriel asked gently.

Anubis nodded, and took a moment before saying any more.

"She looked up at me, her soul did, with these big honey colored eyes, thick lashes, thick dark hair curled at the ends. She was a beautiful baby, a shame that she died," Anubis paused.

"When her mother realized the infant she birthed was not breathing she began to cry, and the eyes of soul of the babe flickered to her mother. I let her take one last look at her mother, to see how much she was wanted and loved, i held her close and then we made our way to The Oasis." Anubis said.

"How do you get to the Oasis?" Uriel asked.

Anubis sputtered a moment, surprised by the brazenness of the question. 

"No one but The Gods of Egypt are supposed to know." Anubis recited dutifully.

"Right." Uriel replied, his voice revealing a slight hurt undertone.

Anubis sighed, "I could get stripped of my powers and god status if I told you. Which come to think of it wouldn't be a bad thing." 

"Don't you enjoy being a God?" Uriel asked surprised by how offhandedly Anubis said that.

"I do tremendously, but I do not, I don't," Anubis sputtered a moment.  
His ears lying flat to his head.   
"I can't stand the pain of their deaths." He admitted in a haunted whisper as he looked up at Uriel, wanting to see understanding, not judgement, in his blue eyes.

Uriel felt a deep urge to embrace Anubis then, The Jackal's eyes were big and wide with the pains of his past, an aura of fear and dread flowed around him.

"Why would you be tasked with feeling every death? Isn't Guardian of their Souls enough of a responsibility?" Uriel asked.

"It was a, new feature to the job title after the Counsel had a meeting about it." Anubis said, his mouth twisting into a snarl, his ears flicking up.

"So how did the babe's soul do once you got to the Oasis?" Uriel asked wanting to keep his visitor in a better mood.

Anubis took a breath and smiled, "she was wonderful, brought her there and a big light opened for her, and she was greeted by so many other souls."

Uriel smiled, "that's good, she will be loved by many."

Anubis grunted in response.

The pair sat in silence again, not an uncomfortable one, but Uriel did enjoy the timbre tones of The Jackal's voice.

"After escorting her soul I nipped over to one of my temples grabbed the offerings and came here. Which reminds me," Anubis said reaching for his pouch again, producing a fig and offering another one to Uriel.

Uriel took the offer and ate it, "This is pretty good, I can't remember the last time I ate before this day."

"Do you, remember anything?" Anubis asked him hesitantly.

Uriel swiftly turned to face The Jackal and scowled at him. Anubis' face didn't falter under the glare of the angel.

Uriel looked away and sighed deeply.

"All I can remember, is that this is a punishment, it was either this of become Fallen, and I was grateful that this was chosen. I somewhat remember my name. I'm sure it is Uriel, I don't know or remember anything else. Not even what my face looks like or what color my hair is." Uriel said forcing a laugh.

"Well those two you can easily remedy. Just take off the helmet and look at your reflection." Anubis said with a wave of his hand.

Uriel scoffed at him, "I can't remove my helmet." He said incredulously. 

"Well why not? It doesn't seem molded to your armor." Anubis replied curiously.

"For one I'm supposed to be being punished. For two, I am unable to remove any of my imprisonments myself. " Uriel admitted softly.

"Would you like, me to?" Anubis asked staggering over the words coming from his mouth instinctively. 

"I don't know if you would be able to, but, if you want to try, go ahead." Uriel replied turning towards Anubis slightly.

Anubis looked at the armor. The helmet would be easiest to remove, it wasn't sealed to the rest of the armor. The chains may or may not be removeable, but if they were removed they wouldnt be able to be placed back on.

He slowly lifted his hands to either side of Uriel's head, and wiggled his fingers to the edge of the metal.  
Anubis gently gripped the helmet and carefully slid it up to expose Uriel's face. 

Unable to catch himself, he exhaled sharply. The angel was the most beautiful creature Anubis had ever seen. More beautiful than The Nile when the world was blooming around it, more beautiful than his god and goddess cohorts, more beautiful than creation.  
He looked away quickly, he didn't want to forget himself, didn't want to scare off his, friend, didn't want to regret this action.

"What?" Asked Uriel slightly worried about what was under the helmet.

Anubis gave him a impish grin, "I can see why they made you wear the helmet, with a face like that you would scare off any creature that came near those doors."

Uriel rolled his vibrant blue eyes upward, his plump lips twisting in a grin.

"See for yourself." Anubis said handing him the helmet to check his reflection. 

Uriel hesitantly took the helmet in his hands, and glanced at his reflection.  
As he marvelled at himself Anubis studied the beautiful angel. 

His skin was a deep rich umber with bronze undertones, it shone in the clarity of their surroundings. His skin was smooth, it arched with his high cheekbones, and thoughtful brow.   
His blue eyes sparkled behind thick lashes that fluttered with every blink.   
His hair was shaved to the scalp, no fuzz or hint of color to be seen, except from his thick eyebrows, a deep midnight hue inked the hairs above his eyes.

As Uriel looked himself over in the makeshift mirror, and bared his gleaming white teeth. 

"So this is a scary face where you're from?" Uriel asked as he turned to look at Anubis.

Anubis felt heat rise to his face and was thankful that Jackals did not blush.

"Absolutely hideous in fact." Anubis said, going for a sarcastic tone, but it coming out a trembling whisper. 

Uriel raised an eyebrow at him, his lip quirking upward in a smirk.  
"Didn't know you were a god that lies now Anubis."

Anubis remained silent, but his ears flicked backward, giving himself away.

"Are you being vain now Uriel? Careful I believe that is one of your sins." Anubis said with a crooked grin.

"Well, I would be inclined to believe you think my face is hideous but the truth of the matter is, you haven't stopped looking at it since the helmet came off." Uriel said, his voice gentle and gruff at the same time. 

Anubis met Uriel's blue gaze, and he gulped, then he noticed Uriel's armored hand was resting on the steps beside him.  
Before he could lose his nerve, he placed his own hand on top of Uriel's and held it gently.

Uriel's gaze went from Anubis' face to their hands, and he sighed.

"I wish I could feel that through the armor." He said in a gentle whisper. 

Anubis did not hesitate, and he lifted his hand from Uriel's armored hand to his cheek.

Uriel took a sharp inhale of breath.  
He hadn't felt this kind of warmth in, so long.

"Is this, okay?" Anubis asked gently, worried he had crossed a line.

"This is, heavenly." Uriel replied, his voice thick like honey.

"Can I?" Anubis asked reaching up with his other hand.

Uriel gave a slight nod in response.

Anubis reached up with his other hand and cupped Uriel's face gently.

"You feel tense." Anubis muttered.

Uriel chuckled, "I haven't felt any of this in, so long." He replied.

"I wish I could free you from these shackles, from all this armor. Not just your helmet." Anubis said his ears pressing backward against his head.

"I know." Uriel replied.

"Take you away with me." Anubis continued.

"Yes, where would we go?" Uriel asked closing his eyes.   
"Describe it to me."

Anubis inhaled sharply, tracing Uriel's cheeks with his thumbs.

"I would take you to my favorite temple, it has cushions made of the finest silks, filled with the softest down, has a wading pool with clear cool water and sacred blue lilies floating on their surfaces." 

Anubis paused and traced Uriel's chin with one thumb, "Then I would take you to The Nile at night, the fireflies glow and light up the riverbanks. The water calm and soothing, gently lapping the banks of the river. You can watch the birds try to catch the little fish and tadpoles." He said with a chuckle.

Uriel smiled, his gaze softening with every word Anubis is spoke.

Anubis gently traced Uriel's bottom lip with his thumb.  
"I would take you to a place where you would never forget those memories, I would let you know who you are every day of my existence, I would give you all the figs in Egypt." He paused.

"Please," Uriel whispered, his eyes watery.  
"Go on." He whispered as he looked in the Jackal's eyes.

"I would never make you feel locked up again. I would, help you preen your feathers until they shone with a sheen that would make any gemstone jealous. I would try to make you feel all the love, the joy, all the good things, that I feel when I see you every day at this door." Anubis said in a half strangled whisper.

With every word Anubis spoke, the fluttering feeling in Uriel's stomach grew and grew.

"I, would like that." Uriel choked out, wanting nothing more than to run away with Anubis right now, break his chains, strip his armor and fly away with The Jackal in his arms.

The air grew heavy between them.

"But?" Anubis asked feeling the thickened air between them.

"But, I'm afraid, if one day, Heaven did find me away from this post, this door, that they would find me, and therefore find you. I don't, I won't, bring that wrath down on you." Uriel said his tears no longer being sealed in his blue eyes.

"I'm not afraid of Heaven's wrath." Anubis growled, his upper lip curling in a snarl, his ears pinning backward against his head. 

"I know you aren't, my, my brave Jackal." Uriel said stuttering.

Anubis sniffed and reached up with his thumbs and wiped Uriel's tears from his cheeks, gazing into the Angel's blue blue eyes, clearer than any sky he had ever seen.

"But until my punishment is over, I won't I refuse to risk your life." Uriel said pulling away slightly from Anubis' hands.

Anubis dropped his hands to his lap, feeling an ache in his chest that reminded him of the attacks of the heart the humans would sometimes die of.

Uriel rose from his seated position and clutched his helmet in his hands tightly.

"I'm sorry." Uriel rasped.  
He leaned down and placed a kiss against The Jackal's brow.

Anubis closed his eyes, wanting to remember every thought and sensation that kiss made him feel.

"I'll still be here every day." Anubis said rising from his seated position. Uriel placed the helmet back on his head, and chuckled.

"I wouldn't expect anything else." Uriel said, raising a hand and placing it on Anubis' shoulder. 

"I don't want to leave yet." Anubis said shakily.

"Then stay as long as you'd like." Uriel said smiling under the helmet.

Anubis sat back down, and leaned his head against Uriel's armored thigh.

They let the time pass in silence. 

They waited to run away together for so long.

**Author's Note:**

> Talhi I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed reading your amazing book!


End file.
